Leaving the Nest
by Stars and Stripes
Summary: "As she sat in that car and looked through the back window to see everyone standing on the porch, waving them good-bye, time seemed to slow down to a crawl and the severity of the night's events were able to catch up to her." Quick, little one-shot about Bella's feelings about leaving her dad after her wedding.


**I wrote this a little after I left for college, so I tried my best to channel the way I was feeling about leaving home and family into the story. I actually forgot I had it, but here it is. Hope you like it! Reviews are always welcome!**

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It was a strange sort of feeling, driving away in that car with Edward. Her head was spinning trying to keep track of everything that was happening so quickly. The night was perfect, everything went smoothly, she was around all the people she loved – including a few surprises – but it all seemed to move so fast. It was hard to believe that just that morning she wasn't married to Edward Cullen. But, as she sat in that car and looked through the back window to see everyone standing on the porch, waving them good-bye, time seemed to slow down to a crawl and the severity of the night's events were able to catch up to her.

The smiling faces before her were suddenly more than just a pleasant sight and it was breathtaking to see them all tearing up and laughing and waving. Each and every one of them had a place in her heart and she felt a twinge of regret for not being able to have thanked them all for coming. They couldn't possibly understand what it meant to her for them to be there on a day like today.

Bella's eyes scanned the crowd as she waved back to them all, and at last, they landed on her parents. Her loving mother was crying – tears of joy, of course – and holding hands with her new husband, Phil, who stood smiling happily at the retreating car. She would miss her mother terribly, she knew that, and she knew that her mother would miss her just as much but she was reassured to know that Phil would take care of her. Visions flashed through her mind of trips they had taken together and activities they had tried to satiate her mother's love for adventure and simple nights they had spent at home, laughing about nothing. She would miss all of it, but at the time, she didn't know just how much she would miss it.

She had been successful in keeping her emotions in check until that moment. Her eyes had found her fathers. He was staring right back at her, his face was a little puffy and red. Just the sight of him working so hard to control his tears was heartbreaking. It pained her to see him holding her mother's hand watching his only child being driven off with her husband to some far away land for their honeymoon. He had watched her grow for 18 years, he raised her and told her what was right and wrong, he shaped her into the person she is today, and all of the sudden, he's expected to let go? It didn't seem fair, and Bella wasn't sure she was ready to say good-bye either. It took a lot of willpower to not tell the driver to stop the car and go run back over to them both.

Her whole life, she had seen her dad as indestructible. No one could hurt him and no one could take him down off of the pedestal she placed him on. He was the rock in her life, the chief of police, and the superhero. He could do things that no other dad could do; in her eyes, he was the best. He took care of her, tucked her into bed at night, read her bedtime stories and scared away her nightmares. She couldn't imagine anyone that strong would be capable of tears and it hurt her most of all to see them trickling down his face.

She was leaving him now. Over the years, their responsibilities had shifted. He started off raising her but before they knew it, she was taking care of him. She cooked the meals and cleaned the house and did the laundry. She even paid the bills when he forgot. He was getting older, there was no denying it, but as he would slip into his old age, she would no longer be around to be his crutch. Bella almost felt sorry for him though she knew he wouldn't want her pity. She had spent her entire existence under his wing and now that it was time to leave the nest, she felt uneasy. How could she go from seeing her father every day to never seeing him again?

The car made a sharp turn and the wedding guests were removed from her sight. They were gone in a flash and her stomach did a somersault when it crossed her mind that she would never see some of them again. She turned to face the front of the vehicle, holding back her tears. Suddenly, Bella felt Edward slide his hand into hers and she looked up. His worried eyes met hers, and with a reassuring smile, he was able to make her believe everything would be alright.


End file.
